(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Captain Marvel will not only be the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to star a female superhero: It will also be the company’s first to be helmed by a woman.
Anna Boden and co-director Ryan Fleck are reportedly in charge of the upcoming film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The creative team behind dramas like It’s Kind of a Funny Story and the Oscar-nominated Half Nelson beat out well-known, female contenders for the 2019 feature. Those names included Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook).
In the past, Marvel approached other critically acclaimed female directors to helm other projects. Ava DuVernay, who made a name for herself with Selma, turned down the upcoming Black Panther. Patty Jenkins (Monster) was set to direct Thor: The Dark World before Marvel took her off the project.
Based on Boden and Fleck’s filmography, we may be looking at a more downbeat Marvel film than we’ve seen in the past. But the women co-writing Captain Marvel, Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauvre, are best known for their work on Guardians of the Galaxy and Inside Out, respectively.
Academy Award-winner Brie Larson stars as Captain Marvel. The film is out March 8, 2019.